HISTORIC OCEAN GOING TUG BOAT

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Comanche 202 History

During WW II the U.S. Navy ordered ocean-going tugs for towing naval vessels damaged or disabled in combat. Eighty-nine ATA tugs were built. After commissioning in Texas, ATA-202 proceeded to the Pacific reporting for duty in support of the Okinawa campaign at Ulithi atoll. ATA-202 was awarded one battle star for towing battle-damaged ships out of the line of fire to U.S. Navy facilities for repair. In September, 1945, she returned to the United States. ATA-202 began duty in the 11th Naval District at San Diego towing US Navy vessels and barges. In March 1946 she was reassigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet's Texas Group and named USS Wampanoag. In February of 1959, USS Wampanoag was loaned to the U.S. Coast Guard by the U.S. Navy. They commissioned ATA-202 as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Comanche WATA-202 and changed this later to WMEC-202. On 1 June 1969, the Navy permanently transferred Comanche to the Coast Guard Comanche was ported in California, where she was assigned to law enforcement and search and rescue patrols. In 1967, Comanche was stationed at Corpus Christi, Texas, where she performed piracy patrols off the coast of Cuba and South America. On 30 January 1980, she returned to the west coast and was ported at Eureka, California until she was decommissioned. Later Comanche was acquired by Dave Howard of Toledo, Washington for private commercial tug service and moved to the Puget Sound. September 11, 2007, Comanche 202 Foundation was granted exempt status by the IRS and in October, vessel Comanche was donated to the Comanche 202 Foundation which is restoring the vessel through the work of volunteers.

Currently she is at:

705 Dock St. E.
Tacoma, WA 98402.
 

Restorations made possible by donations from contributors like:  J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. Tacoma, Washington

information provided by

    Historic Naval Ships Association

For additional information, please visit

Comanche 202 Foundation document (.pdf)

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